April 12, 2006
Scholarship Program Will Help Continue
The Miracle at the River Hospital
Just three short years ago, the River Hospital in Alexandria Bay was temporarily closed – and its future was
bleak. With tremendous effort and a grassroots approach by a dedicated group of citizens and a very
supportive community, the River Hospital has evolved from a spectacular miracle re-opening to a
permanent source of healthcare services for the Thousand Islands Region. The greatest asset the River
Hospital has always offered has been its “Angel-Like” staff. To ensure the Hospital continues to have the
necessary caregivers for generations to come, the River Hospital Foundation has launched a new
fundraising program, “Miracle on the River” Scholarship Program. The scholarship fund will finance
continued education, not only in the nursing field, but in critical healthcare fields as well, in exchange for a
work commitment to River Hospital. The program would primarily fund (but not be limited to) alternative
students, currently working at River Hospital, who want to upgrade their skills to a higher level.
Working side-by-side with the Hospital, the River Hospital Foundation “seeks charitable gifts from
individuals, corporations and foundations dedicated to supporting the healthcare mission of the River
Hospital.” According to Jacqualine Costello, River Hospital Foundation Executive Director, the scholarship
program was identified as a priority by Hospital Administrator Michael McLean. “Our Hospital has been re-
born and continues to grow in services and utilization, but none of it would be possible without the staff who
provide the care which makes our Hospital so special. Like so many hospitals across the country, River
Hospital faces real manpower shortages in most personnel areas, including a shortage of registered
nurses. The “Miracle on the River” Scholarship Program is designed to raise funds to help fill key shortage
areas with qualified personnel.” The Foundation has established a process for identifying potential
candidates, screening them and selecting award recipients.
The Foundation launched the fundraising for the scholarship program with a kick-off event at the Hospital
on Friday, April 7th. A group of employees, administration and board members gathered together unveiling
the program’s posters and donor cards, inspired by a recent letter from employee Penny Decarr. In her
letter of thanks to the community for recent care and support she was shown Mrs. Decarr praised the staff
at the Hospital, referring to them as “Angels”. Excerpts of her letter have been incorporated into the
scholarship fundraising campaign. “Sometimes words never seem enough to express our appreciation and
thanks towards those individuals who give of themselves unselfishly to others…who go above and beyond
the call of duty. In my eyes the employees of the River Hospital are truly Angels – Always giving and never
expecting anything in return.” Those words inspired the Foundation and their scholarship drive. “When we
saw the wonderful things that Penny said about her fellow workers it represented what everyone would like
to see in their caregivers,” added Mrs. Costello. The Foundation will be mailing out information and a
donor card to local businesses and individuals in the upcoming week. Foundation members and volunteers
will personally be following up to the mailing. In addition to the mailing, employees at the Hospital will be
selling candles to the community, with the proceeds also going to the scholarship fund.
In the letter being sent out with the scholarship mailing, Diane Recupero, President of the River Hospital
Foundation Board of Directors, concludes with asking the recipients to “Please take the time to consider
this wonderful opportunity to “Help us find more Angels” and give generously to this investment in the
future of healthcare in your community.”
If you would like to support the Scholarship Fund please contact the River Hospital Foundation at 315-482-
4976.
For More Information Contact:
River Hospital Foundation
P.O. Box 567 Alexandria Bay, NY 13607
Tel: 315-482-4976
FAX: 315-482-4978
Internet: rhfoundation@riverhospital.org